June 15, 1869 The first parlor cars are placed in service between New York and Boston, running via Springfield.
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June 15, 1883 The first train steams across the Marent Gulch trestle, a 222-foot tall wooden structure that may be the tallest wooden structure ever built. One hundred fifty people from nearby Missoula MT cheer as the Northern Pacific train makes it across. The wooden structure has been replaced by a steel bridge.
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June 15, 1887 The Pennsylvania Railroad inaugurates "The Pennsylvania Limited" between New York and Chicago.
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June 15, 1888 First train to Casper WY on the Chicago & North Western.
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June 15, 1895 Harper's Weekly reports on the Avon Park Transportation Company, a logging railroad in Florida that uses Shay locomotives running on 4 x 6 inch timbers embedded in the sand. While the rails are joined end to end, there is no crosstie. The Harper's article claims the operation is a success.
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June 15, 1901 The Dayton & Xenia Traction Company buys the Dayton & Xenia Rapid Transit.
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June 15, 1902 Pennsylvania Railroad's "Pennsylvania Special" begins a 20-hour Jersey City to Chicago schedule. The previous fast time was 28 hours.
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June 15, 1902 The New York Central & Hudson River Railroad's "20th Century Limited", "a train a century ahead of its time" according to contemporary accounts, begins operation. The average speed is 49 mph between New York and Chicago resulting in a 20-hour journey.
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June 15, 1907 The first segment of the Chicago-New York Electric Air Line is opened, La Porte to South La Porte IN, a distance of 3 miles.
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June 15, 1908 The first masonry is laid at Penn Station.
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June 15, 1910 The Quincy & Western (later Quincy Railroad) begins operations.
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June 15, 1924 Debut of the "Montrealer" and its twin, the "Washingtonian". Following a Canadian National/Central Vermont/Boston & Maine/New Haven/Pennsylvania routing, they will be favorites for diplomatic traffic between Ottawa and Washington. The "Washingtonian" will also be popular among rum-runners during Prohibition.
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June 15, 1927 Charles Lindbergh's mother christens the renamed "St. Louisian/New Yorker" in honor of her son's plane, the "Spirit of St. Louis". The first ceremonies take place at Penn Station. Other ceremonies will be held at St. Louis.
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June 15, 1928 The Kansas City Southern inaugurates "The Flying Crow" between Kansas City and Port Arthur TX.
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June 15, 1928 The one-mile long Walloon Lake Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad (MI) is abandoned.
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June 15, 1933 The 2-foot gauge Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington ends rail operations after one of its engines derails on the main line. WW&F will honor its mail contract by truck for about a month until the Post Office gets wind of the operation and ends the contract.
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June 15, 1938 The "20th Century Limited" is equipped with new streamlined equipment and a new schedule that averages 60 mph.
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June 15, 1938 The Broadway Limited begins regular service with its new "Fleet of Modernism" streamlined equipment.
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June 15, 1940 Streetcar service ends in South Bend and Mishawaka IN.
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June 15, 1942 J.G. White Engineering Company issues its report on the ailing Long Island Railroad. Among Long Island's problems: Fares frozen at a 1918 level and subsidized competition from transit and automobiles.
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June 15, 1943 The last GG-1 electric locomotive built leaves Altoona.
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June 15, 1945 The Pennsylvania Railroad extends the range of its 4-4-4-4 duplex locomotives from Chicago to Harrisburg PA. Until this time they were confined to the Ft. Wayne Division.
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June 15, 1950 The Pennsylvania Railroad introduces a computerized ticketing system designed by a subsidiary company of IT&T.
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June 15, 1953 The New York City Transit Authority is created, assuming the operation of nearly all subway, elevated and bus lines in New York City.
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June 15, 1963 Cass Scenic Railroad makes its first official run.
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June 15, 1967 The Pennsylvania begins shipping mail in COFC service. It has reserved 100 mail containers and 50 flat cars to meet demand.
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June 15, 1973 The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad becomes part of the Chessie System.
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June 15, 1974 The last Milwaukee Road electrically powered train makes its final run.
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June 15, 2008 As workers in Bihar state, India, try to clear nesting crows from railway telephone poles the crows become so agitated their flapping wings short-circuit the power lines. Railway service in the area is interrupted for three hours, stalling at least a dozen passenger trains.
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Mark Tomlonson
